Elevator system



April 17, 1934. LEw|$ 1,955,303

ELEVATOR SYSTEM Filed Jan. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZVITNESSES: Z INVENTOR April 17, 1934.

F. E. LEWIS ELEVATOR SYSTEM Filed Jan. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 600 80D 84- E3 e2 8/ Patented Apr. 17, 1934 ELEVATOR SYSTEM Frank E. Lewis, deceased, late of Chicago, 111., by Edgar M. Bouton, administrator, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,682

4 Claims. (Cl. 187-29) This invention relates to elevator systems in which the hatchway doors and the car gates are electrically interlocked with the car controlling means.

One object of the invention is to provide for electrically interlocking the hatchway doors, the car gates and the control systems of automatic push-button elevators in such manner as to prevent any unsafe operation of the car and to also prevent opening the hatchway doors while the car is in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the correct operation of the car gates and the hatchway doors of automatic push-button elevators under all conditions under which the elevator may be operated.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a means for electrically interlocking the car gate, the hatchway doors and the car control system of automatic push-button elevators that shall be simple and inexpensive to install and maintain in operation.

For an illustration of one of the various forms in which the invention may be employed, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a schematic illustration of a pushbutton elevator control system embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is an explanatory illustration of the relays of Fig. 1. The illustration in Fig. 2 shows the relays with their coils and contact members disposed on horizontal lines corresponding to their positions in the straight line circuit of Fig. 1, so that the reader may readily determine the identification of any relay, the number and kind of its contact members and the position of its coil and its contact members in the straight line circuit.

While the invention may be employed in connection with various automatic push-button elevators it is shown in the drawings as embodied in a single-speed, single-call automatic push-button elevator designed for control by the passengers without the aid of a car attendant. The passenger control means comprises a plurality of push-buttons F1, F2, F3 and F4, respectively, mounted at the floor landings served by ,the elevator for operation by persons desiring to register a call to move the car to the floor at which they are waiting.

A set of push-buttons C1, C2, C3 and C4, corresponding to the floor push-buttons, and connected in parallel therewith, may be mounted in the car to be operated by passengers in the car,

in registering calls to move the car to the floor landings at which they desire to get oil.

Connected in circuit with the floor push-buttons and the car push-buttons is a floor selector assembly comprising a series of switches S1, S2, S3 and S4, such as are usually employed in automatic push-button elevators. The switches are illustrated as disposed at the respective landings in the usual way in position to be actuated by a projection 10 on the car (only a portion C of which is shown) in such manner that the contact members b on the switches S1, S2 and S3 will be closed in sequence as the car ascends and the contact members a on the switches S4, S3 and S2 will be closed in sequence as the car descends. It is to be understood, however, that any other well known form of floor selector or floor stop device may be utilized with the system.

A series of push-button relay coils R1, R2, R3 and R4 are respectively connected in circuit with the push-buttons to provide self-holding circuits for the push-buttons so that the pressing of a push-button by a waiting passenger will cause the corresponding circuit to be maintained until the car moves to the floor landing for which the button has been operated. The push-button relay coils are connected in series with the floor selector switches so that each registered call will be cancelled by the arrival of the car at the corresponding landing operating the selector switch at that landing.

An up-directional relay coil 80U and a downdirectional relay coil 80D are shown for controlling an up direction switch coil 1 and a down direction switch coil 2, respectively.

The up-direction switch coil 1 and the down direction switch coil 2 are provided for controlling the operation of a hoisting motor M comprising an armature 11 and a field winding 12 for operating the car.

A brake relay coil 6 is disposed in series with the up direction switch coil 1 and the down direction switch coil 2 for controlling, through contact members 6a, the operation of a brake electromagnet coil 13 in such manner that a brake (not shown) will be operated to stop the car when the car motor M ceases to operate.

In automatic push-button elevators it is customary to provide a car gate for closing the entrance to the car and a hatchway door for closing the hatchway entrance at each floor landing. Usually the car gate and the hatchway doors are biased to their closing position to cause them to remain closed except when opened by passengers in entering or leaving the car.

In the drawing, there is shown a hatchway door 14 that is biased to its closed position by a door-closing spring 15 and a car gate 16 that is biased to its closed position by a gate-closing spring 17. Although only one hatchway door is illustrated, it is to be understood that it is representative of a hatchway door at each floor landing.

The hatchway door 14 may be locked in its closed position by means of a catch 18 that is fastened to the door and a cooperating latch 19 which may be mounted upon any suitable support adjacent to the hatchway door.

As a means for unlocking the door when the car makes a stop thereat, the latch 19 is disposed upon the upper end of a pivotally mounted lever 20, the lower end of which is provided with a roller 21 in position to be engaged by a cam member 22. The cam member 22 is operated by a pair of springs 25 and an armature 23 of an electro-magnetic coil 24 mounted upon the car and connected to the car control system in such manner that the stopping of the car at a landing will cause the cam to engage the roller 21 and operate it to unlock the door at that landing.

The car gate 16 is provided with a ratchet 26 disposed to be engaged by a pawl 27 when the gate is moved to its open position in such manner that the gate will be retained in its open position. An electro-magnet 30 is provided for lifting the pawl 27 to release the gate 16 and permit it to move to its closed position under the tension of the gate-closing spring 1'7.

In practicing the invention, there is electrically interlocked the car gate, the hatchway door, the lock on the hatchway door, the relay of the retiring cam and the car control system in such manner that when a passenger leaves a car at a landing the car gate will remain open, the hatchway door will remain closed but unlocked and the car will remain at the landing until another passenger operates one of the push buttons to move the car, when the car gate will be released and closed, the closing of the gate will efiect the withdrawal of the retiring cam which will operate the door latch and lock the hatchway door, and the locking of the door will complete a circuit for energizing the hoisting motor to run the car.

In order to eifect this sequence of operation, the hatchway door 14 is electrically connected to the control system by a contact member a disposed on the door to engage a pair of contact members band 0 when the door is closed. The closure of these contact members efiects the energization of a door protective relay coil 41 which closes its contact members 41a to prepare a circuit for operating the car. The closure of the contact members on the hatchway door also energizes a gate ratchet release relay coil 42 to release the car gate.

The car gate 16 is provided with a contact member 02 disposed upon the gate to close cooperating contact members b and 0 when the gate is closed for completing a circuit to energize a gate protective and retiring cam release relay coil 43.

A stop push-button switch 33 may be mounted in the car in series with the up direction switch coil 1 and the down direction switch coil 2 for stopping the car in case of an emergency.

A pair of contact members a and c are disposed upon the door latch 19 in position to engage a cooperating contact member bon the door catch 18 when the door is locked for the purpose of completing a circuit for energizing a lock protective relay coil 44.

A ratchet protection relay coil 32 is connected in parallel with the brake electro-magnet coil 13 to prevent energization of the gate ratchet release relay coil 42 while the hatchway door is open.

A pair of limit switches 34 and 35 are disposed in the circuits for the up direction switch coil 1 and the down direction switch coil 2 to limit the operation of the car in either its up direction or its down direction.

The invention may be best understood by an assumed operation thereof:

Assuming that the car C is standing at the third floor landing as left thereby a passenger, then the hatchway door 14 will be in its closed position and the car gate 16 will be held in its open position by the holding pawl 27, as shown in the drawings. Assuming now that an intending passenger opens the hatchway door 14, steps inside the car and releases the hatchway door, then the tension spring 15 will move the hatchway door to its closed position, thereby closing its contact members a, b and c. The closing of these contact members completes a circuit for energizing the door protective relay coil 41 and the gate ratchet release relay coil 42, extending from supply conductor L1 through conductor 36, the contact members a, b, and c of the door 14, the contact members 37 on the other hatchway doors, conductor 38, door protective relay coil 41 and conductor 39 to supply conductor L2.

The energization of door protective relay coil 41 closes its contact members 41a to partially prepare a circuit for energizing either the up direction switch coil 1 or the down direction switch coil 2 to start the car.

Assume now that the car passenger presses the car button C2 to move the car to the second floor. The pressing of the button C2 completes a circuit for energizing the down directional relay D and the push-button holding relay R2, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 46, coil 80D, conductors 47 and 48, the contact member b of switch S2, conductor 49, the coil R2, conductor 50, the contact members ofpush-button C2, conductors 51, 52 and 53, the normally closed contact member 32b and conductor 54 to the supply conductor L2.

The energization of the coil 80D closes its contact members 80Db to partially prepare a circuit for energizing the down direction switch 2 to move the car downwardly.

The energization of the down directional relay 80D also closes its contact members 80Da to energize the gate ratchet release coil 42 by way of a circuit that extends from the supply conductor L1 to conductor 36, the contact members a, b and c of door 14, door contact members 37, conductors '38 and 56 to gate ratchet release relay coil 42, conductor 57, contact members 80Da to supply conductor L2.

The energization of the coil 42 closes its contact members 420 and the energization of coil R2 closes its contact members R211, thereby completing a holding circuit for registering the call on the push-button G2 which circuit extends, as previously described, from the supply conductor L1 through the coil 80D and coil R2 and thence through conductor 60, the contact members R2a, conductors 61, 62 and 63, and contact members 420 to the supply conductor L2. The contact members 420 are disposed in this circuit to prevent registration of a call while any one of the hatchway doors remains unlocked.

The energization of the coil 42 also closes its contact members 4212, to prepare a circuit for energizing the gate protective and retiring cam release relay coil 43.

The energization of the coil 42 also closes its contact members 42a for completing a circuit to energize the gate release electro-magnet 30, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 65, gate release coil 30, conductor 66, the normally closed contact members 43b, conductor 67 and the contact members 42a to supply conductor L2.

The energization of the gate release electromagnet 30 raises the holding pawl 27 from the ratchet 26 thereby releasing the gate 16 and permitting it to move to its closed position under the force exerted by the closing spring 17.

The closing of the car gate closes its contact members a, b and c and thereby completes a circuit for energizing the gate protective and retiring cam release relay coil 43, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 70, the push-button stop switch 33, conductor 71, the contact members 0, a and b of door 16, conductor 72, the coil 43 and the contact members 421; to the supply conductor L2.

The energization of the gate protective and retiring cam release relay coil 43 opens its con tact members 43b to deenergize the gate release electro-magnet 30, and closes contact members 430 to further prepare the circuit for operating the down direction switch 2.

The energization of the cam release relay coil 43 also closes its contact members 43a for completing a circuit to energize the retiring cam coil 24, which circuit extends from supply conductor Ll through coil 24, conductor 73, and the contact members 43a to supply conductor L2.

The energization of the retiring cam coil 24 pulls in its armature 23 and withdraws the cam 22 from the roller 21 on the latch lever 20. This action permits the latch lever to rotate on its pivot 74, thus moving the latch 19 into locking engagement with the catch 18, thereby securely locking the hatchway door 14 in its closed position.

The movement of the locking latch 19 into engagement with the locking catch 18 causes the locking contact members a, b and c to engage, thereby completing a circuit for energizing the lock protective relay coil 44, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 75, the contact members 0, b and a on the hatchway door lock, the contact members 16a on the associate hatchway door locks, conductor 76 and the coil 44 to supply conductor L2.

The energization of the relay coil 44 closes its contact members 44a, thereby completing a circuit which energizes the down direction switch coil 2 to move the car downwardly and the brake coil 6 to release the brake, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 70,

the stop push-button 33, conductors 71 and 82, the contact members 41a, 43c and 44a, brake relay coil 6, down direction switch coil 2, limit switch 35 and contact members 80Db to supply conductor L2.

The energization of the brake relay coil 6 closes its contact members 6a, thereby energizing the brake electro-magnet coil 13 and the brake protective coil 32, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 83,

contact members 6a to a junction point 84 where it divides, one branch extending through the brake electro-magnet 13 to the supply conductor L2, and the other branch extending from the junction point 84 through conductor 85 and the ratchet protective coil 32 to the supply conduc tor L2.

The energization of the brake electro-magnet coil 13 releases the car brake (not shown).

The energization of the ratchet protective relay 32 closes its contact members 32a to complete a protective parallel circuit for the gate ratchet release relay coil 42.

The energization of the down direction switch coil 2 by closing its contact members 2a and 2b completes a circuit for energizing the elevator hoisting motor M to move the car from the third floor to the second floor which circuit extends from supply conductor L1 through conductor 86, contact members 2b, the armature 11, contact members 2a and conductor 87 to the supply conductor L2. Thereupon the motor M operates to move the car downwardly.

As the car leaves the third floor landing the projecting member 10 thereon passes out of the switch member S3, thereby moving that switch member into engagement with its contact member a. As the car nears the second floor, the projecting member 10 thereon engages the switch S2 and moves it from engagement with its contact member b, thereby opening the circuit to deenergize the down directional switch 80D.

The deenergization of the down directional switch 80D opens its contact members 80Db, thereby deenergizing the down direction switch 2 to stop the motor M and also deenergizing the brake relay 6 to open the circuit for the brake electro-magnet coil 13 to apply the brake (not shown) for stopping the car.

Asthe car comes to a stop at the second floor the opening of the contact members 32a on the ratchet protective coil and the contact members BODa of the down directional relay coil, breaks the circuit for the gate ratchet release relay coil 42 and deenergizes that coil.

The deenergization of the coil 42 opens its contact members 42b, thereby deenergizing the gate protective and retiring cam release relay coil 43. The deenergization of the relay coil 43 opens its contact members 43a and thereby deenergizes the release cam of the electro-magnet 24, thereby permitting the cam 22 to move outwardly under the pressure of its springs 25 into engagement with the roller 21. The pressure of the cam 22 against the roller 21 raises the locking latch 19 from the locking catch 18, thereby unlocking the hatchway door 14.

Assuming now that the passenger moves the car gate 16 and the hatchway door 14 to their open positions, and leaves the car, then the holding pawl 27 will engage the ratchet 26 and hold the car gate open while the spring 15 on the hatchway door will move that door to its closed position where it will remain in an unlocked condition.

Assuming now that a passenger standing at the first floor desiring to call the car to that floor, presses the floor landing button F1, then a circuit will be established for energizing the down directional relay coil 80D and the push-button holding relay coil R1 in practically the same manner as the coil 80D and the coil R2 were energized when the car button C2 was pressed to move the car to the second floor. Thereupon the gate ratchet release relay coil 42 will be energized to complete a circuit for energizing the gate release electromagnet 30 which in turn will operate the holding pawl 2'? to release the car gate to its closed position. When the car gate closes under the action of the spring 17, the closing of its contact members a, b and 0 will complete a circuit for efiecting the withdrawal of the retiring cam thereby effecting the locking of the hatchway door and the subsequent starting of the car as previously described in moving the car from the third floor to the second floor.

Therefore, it will be seen that there is provided a system for interlocking the car gate, the locks of the hatchway doors, and the control system of an automatic push-button elevator in such a manner as will ensure a correct sequence in the operation of the hatchway door, the car gate, the lock and the car itself, and which will also prevent any unsafe operation of the car, or the car gate or the hatchway doors.

While there is illustrated and described only one specific form of the invention, it is to be understood that many modifications thereof may be made. Therefore, it is not desired to be limited to the precise system illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In an elevator control system for operating a car provided with a car gate past a landing provided with a hatchway door, passenger controlled means for partially completing a circuit for operating said car, means responsive to operation of the passenger controlled means and to the closed position of said hatchway door for closing the car gate, means responsive to closing of the car gate for locking the hatchway door in its closed position, and means responsive to the locking of the hatchway door for completing the circuit for operating the car.

2. In an elevator control system for operating a car provided with a car gate past a plurality of floor landings each of which is provided with a hatchway door, passenger controlled means for partially completing a circuit to move the car from one landing to another landing, means responsive to operation of the passenger controlled means and to the closed position of the hatchway doors for closing the car gate, means responsive to closing of the car gate for locking the hatchway door at which the car is standing, means responsive to the locking of said hatchway door for completing the circuit to move said car to said other landing and means responsive to the arrival of said car at said other landing for stopping the car at that landing and unlocking the corresponding hatchway door.

3. In an elevator control system, a motor for operating a car past a floor landing, a hatchway door for said landing, means for biasing said door to its closed position, a gate on said car, means for biasing said gate to its closed position, means for holding said gate in its open position against the gate biasing means, passenger controlled means for partially preparing a circuit for operating the motor, means responsive to operation of the passenger controlled means and to the closed position of the hatchway door for releasing the gate holding means, means responsive to the closing of the gate for locking the hatchway door, and means responsive to locking of the hatchway door for completing the partially prepared circuit for operating the motor.

4. In an elevator control system, a motor for operating a car past a plurality of floor landings, a hatchway door for each of said landings, locking means for each of said doors, a gate for said car, means biasing the gate to a closed position, means for holding the gate in its open position against said biasing means, passenger controlled means for partially preparing a circuit for operating the motor to move the car from one landing to selected landing, means responsive to operation of the passenger controlled means'and to the closed position of the hatchway doors for releasing the gate holding means, means responsive to closing of the gate for looking the associated hatchway door, means responsive to locking of the hatchway door for completing the partially prepared circuit for operating the motor, means responsive to the arrival of the car at the selected landing for stopping the motor and for restoring the gate holding means to its efiective condition.

EDGAR M. BOUTON, Administrator of the Estate of Frank E. Lewis,

Deceased. 

